Chain-machine



(NoModel.) 5 Sheets-Sheet `I.

1F'. P. HINDS.'

CHAIN MACHINE.

l110.(5315597. y 1' Patented Deo. 1,1885.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No ModeAl.)

P. P. HINDS.

CHAIN MACHINE.

No 31,397. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

(No Modem' 5 She'ts-Sheet 3.

P. P; HINDS. .Y

I. CHAIN MACHINE. No. 831,397. Patented Dec. 1,1885.

5. Sheetssheet 4.

(No Model.)

F. P. HINDS. CHAIN' MACH-INE.

Patented Dec. l, 1885.

' 5 Sheets-Sheet `5.

(No Model) P. P. HINDS.

GRAIN MACHINE.

No. 331,397.- Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

Ferrini @ritieni FRAFIKLN l?. HINDS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

eaaieiuiuacaine.

SFECFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,397, dated December l, 1885.

Application iiled September 19, 1885. Serial No.177,534. (No model.)

To all wwm it may concern:

Bc it known that l, FRANKLIN l?, HINns, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Making Vire Chain, which will, in connection with the accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

My invention relates to machines for making wire chains; and it consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation ofa machine embodying my invention, andV showing a portion of the chain as in process of construction, but with the chain-locking lever mainly removed. Fig. 2 is a 'side elevation of the same as viewed from the right of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, the opposite of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken as on line :r x, Fig. 2, and as viewed from the right of said line, except that the gears mounted on the shafts of the feedrolls on the right of said line are left in elevation. 5 is an enlarged detached sectional vier.Y showing the wire-guide, the wire turner or coiler, and the chain-tube in section, and portion of the chain within the tube. Fig. 6 is a cross-section ofthe chain-tube and chain within the tube, showing the internal construction of the tube by which the chain is rotated therewith. Fig. 7 is a detached end viewof the wiresguide and its supportinghub, in which it is secured by set-serew, and showing a vertical section of the back guard or coil-support as it bears against the wire while the latter is being coiled, said section being taken as on line c e, Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a detached plan view of the saine devices shown in Fig. 7, and with the wire-cutter added as attached to the inclined face of the coil-guard.

Referring to Fig. l, A represents the frame of the machine; B and B', the feed-rolls mounted upon shafts C and C', and secured thereto by set-screws, as shown, shaft C being mount ed in vertically-sliding boxes in an old and well-known manner, and thus making roll B adjustable with reference to its pressure upon roll B', or upon the wire interposed between them. These rolls have one or more circumferential grooves formed in their meeting faces,

and adapted to the size of the wire to be fed by them and to facilitate their guidance and movement of the wire, which they draw through a guide, D, from a coil upon a reel suitably arranged outside of the machine, and force the same through a guide, D', which is adj ustably mounted in a projection, E, secured to the front of the machineframe, and secured in said supporting projection by a set-screw, as shown.

F is the wire turner or coiler, mounted in a projection, G, secured to the front of the machine-frame, and is adj ustably secured therein by screws H and H', the iirst securing it in position in its supporting projection,` and the second serving to secure and facilitate its longitudinal adjustment therein. The end of this coiler F, with which the wire when forced through guide D' comes in contact, is grooved in the form of au are of a circle whose radius is equal to that of the circle into which it is desired to forni the coil or link of wire, and is adapted to the size of the wire to be coiled thereby, and by proper adjustment of coiler F about its own axis the requisite lateral deiiection of the wire may be obtained to cause it to form its coils spirally, and with the required degree of compactness.

A guard, I, is secured to the front of the frame and arranged to support the wire upon the back side of the coil, and to keep the same properly directed while the ceiling is in progress, and also serves as a shear working in conjunction with the blade of the cutter.

A cutter, J, is pivoted to the inclined face of guard I at J', for the purpose of severing the spiral coil from the main body of the wire at the proper times to constitute the separate links of the chain. This cutter is operated to perform such cutting by means of lever K, which is mounted on a stud, K', secured in the front of the `machine-frame, the lever being secured on its fulcrum by a pin, as shown. The upper end of the lever K bears against the lower end of cutter J, while the lower end of lever K carries a roll, which is in Contact with the edge of a cam, L, mounted upon the driving-shalt M,and constructed and arranged to actuate at the proper time said lever K and cutter J to sever the wire after the required number of coils have been made therein. A spring, N, attached at one end to the frame of IOO the machine and at its opposite end to the cutter J, serves to retract the cutter and its actuating-lever K after the 'cutting is completed.

In an overhanging bracket, O, Figs. l and 2, is mounted a vertical chaintnbe, P, through which the chain is drawn upward by a takeup, hereinafter described, as the coils are formed, out off, and interlinked. The tube is upheld in the bracket by a collar attached to the upper end thereof and resting upon the upper side of the bracket, as shown, while upon the lower end of the tube is secured a pinio11,Q, which gears with a rack, R, constructed and arranged to slide in a dovetail groove, S, in the machine-frame. By a reciprocating movement of rack R, as hereinafter described, the pinion Q and its tube are turned a quarter-revolution first in one direction and then in the other. The tube is internally constructed, as shown in Figs. 5 and (i, so as to hold and rotate the chain with the tube, the object of such movement being to present the open side of the link last coiled and severed from the wire to the advancing wire to receive its newlyformed coils through said last-finished link, as shown in Fig. 5, thereby effecting the concatenation of links in the production of the chain. Until a sufficient number of links are thus formed and interlinked to constitute a chain of sufficient length to extend up to the take-up rolls T and T a suitable cord, provided with a hook to engage the first link formed, is extended from such link through the chain-tube and up to and between the take-up rolls, and is thereby operated in the same manner as the chain is taken up when so extended, and as will be described.

The reciprocating movement of rack R, already referred to, is accomplished by means of a lever, Il, Fig. 4t, pivoted at V on the inner face of the front side of the machine.

A stud, XV, secured to rack R, projects inwardly through the front side of the-machine in a slot in groove S, and with this stud the forked upper end of lever U engages, while a roll, X, secured near the middle of the lever, works in the groove of a geared cam, Y, formed and arranged to properly actuate said lever to reciprocate rack R, said toothed cam being mounted upon a stud projecting inward from the front side of the machine-frame, and being driven by a small gear on the drivingshaft M.

An extensionframe, a, is mounted upon the top ofthe front side of the machine-frame, and in this vertical extension the take-up rolls T and T have their bearings. Boll T has an open bearing, and rests by its weight only upon roll T, or when in use upon the interposed chain b. The axis of roll T extends beyond its bearing in frame a, and upon such extension is secured a ratchet-wheel, c, and a pawl-lever, d, carrying a pawl, e, which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel under the necessary spring-pressure to insure contact.

A vertical bar, f, is pivotally connected at its upper end with the pawl-lever, as shown, Fig. 2, while at its lower end, which is forked and broader, it extends over the driVingsha'ft, and a roll which it carries rests upon the cam g, secured to the driving-sh aft and constructed and arranged to move barf upwardV at the proper time to turn the ratchet-wheel c and the connected takeup rolls through lever d and pawl e, and when bar f is released by its lifting-cam it drops by its gravity, and, aided by a light spring, f, on the upper end of the bar, and by this downward movement, retracts the pawl e on ratchet-wheel c.

The construction, arrangement, andl operation of this take-np mechanism are such as to adapt it to raise the chain at each movement to the extent of the diameter of one link and at such intervals as the links are formed and severed from the main body of wire, the takeup rolls acting upon the chain to draw it upward by frictional contact therewith.

When the chain-tube turnsthe chain for the purpose hereinbefore stated, the link last formed should be always at the proper elevation in the tube to receive within it the end of the wire as it is coiled to form the next link.

A positive take-up might be employed in place of the one described; but when such a take-up is not employed and a frictional movement is depended upon, as in the device described, to insure accuracy of the movement and position of the last-completed link in the tube, I employ a locking device consisting of a lever, h, which at intervals engages the chain in the tube and secures it in position while a new link is being formed. This lever h is pivoted at e', Fig. 2, to a bracket extending outward from the front of the machine, and at its lower end carries a roll, which, by the con- IOO tractile force of a spring, 7c, attached to the lever and frame, is made to bear against the face of cam L, which is formed and arranged to give at the proper time an inward movement to the lower end of lever h against the resistance of spring k. The upper end of lever h is curved and terminated in a beak-like point formed to enter the open side of one link, and to fit over the curved edge of the next link below, and when so entered in a link, as shown, serves to secure the chain in position at that point in the tube while a new link is being formed in its proper connection, the chain-tube being open at the quarters so presented to the point of the lever to admit of its free passage into the link within the tube. As soon as the new link is coiled through the link so held in place by the locking-lever 7L the rotation of cam L causes the lower end of lever 7L to move inward and its upper end outrotation of the tube a quarter-turn takes place as already described, when lever h is again inserted in the chain by the combined action g Next the IIO ISO

of cam Land spring 7c, as and for the purpose described. Thus the chain is secured at proper intervals against lineal displacement While the coiling, cutting, and interlinking operations are going on and released when the take-up is in operation.

Then power is applied to turning the driving-pulley M on shaft M in the direction indicated, movement is thereby imparted to the crank-Wheel fm, Which, through its pitman n, connects with the pawl-lever p, loosely fitted on the rear end of shaft C', Fig. 3, actuates paWl q, and through said pawl the ratchet- Wheel r. This ratchet-Wheel being rigidly secured to the intermediate shaft, C, on the rear side of the machine, together with a gear, s, secured on said shaft on the inner side of the rear frame, Figs. 2 and 4, serves by connection with gear s on the upper shaft, C, to

actuate the feed-rolls B and B at intervals,

as required. The extent of movement of these feed-rolls governs the number of coils in or width of the links which depend upon the length of Wire so fed to the ceiling devices; therefore the connecting-pitman a is adjustable on pawl-leverp, Fig. 3, so that by securing it in said lever nearer to or farther from its fulcrum C more or less movement will accordingly be made of the ratchet-Wheel r, and consequently more or less movement of the feed-rolls. If the pitman is connected nearer to fulcrum C, then more movement of the ratchet-Wheel and feed-rolls and more length of wire coiled into a link Will be the result; but if the pitman is connected farther from fulcrum C, then less movement of the feeding devices and less length of wire coiled into the link will be the result.

The principal operations of the machine in producing the chain are performed in the order and manner following: First, by a movement of the feed-rolls B and B in the manner described, the Wire, being pinched between their peripheries, is drawn from the outside supply-coil arranged to deliver the same freely and forced through the guide D to the coiler F, and past the coiler to the extent required, when the feed-movement ceases; second, by the rotation of cam L,acting against lever K, which in turn acts on the cutter-lever J, the link just coiled is severed by the cutter from the main body or line of wire, When the cutter is retracted by spring N; third, by rotation of cam Q on the driving-shaft M the vertical bar f is moved upward, thereby raising the end of the paWl-lever d, to which it is jointed, and through paWl e, connected therewith, moves the ratchet-wheel c and roll T to the extent of one tooth of the ratchet,thereby raising or taking up the chain to the extent of the diameter of one link, which movement then ceases and the pawl is retracted by the falling of bar Sinto its former position; fourth, the chain having been thus taken up now by rotation ofthe toothed cam y, Fig.f1,driven by the small gear on the driving-shaft M, the lever U is given one throw either to the right or left, according to the position it occupies at the start, thereby sliding rack R in the same direction and to the same extent, and by its engagement With pinion Q turning the chaintube a quarter-revolution and with it the chain therein, thus presenting the open side of the last link formed to the end of the Wire to be fed by the next movement, thus completing the succession of operations tothe point or time When a repetition begins with the next mov ement of the feed-rolls.

It is obvious that these successive operations in the production of this Wire chain might be accomplished Without departing from the essential principles of my invention by mechanism Widely different in details of construction and arrangement from the machine herein described; and I do not therefore wish to limit myself to such details.

I claiml. A machine for producing Wire chain, embodying the combination of mechanism for feeding t-he Wire, mechanism for bending the Wire into spiral form, mechanism forsevering the spirally-coiled links from the main body or line of Wire, and mechanism for receiving the chain as it is produced, and holding the last link formed therein in position to be interlinked with the succeeding link as the latter is coiled into form.

2. In a machine for producing chains composed of coiled-Wire links, the combination, with devices for feeding, ceiling, and cutting the Wire, of mechanism for taking up the chain as it is produced and turning the successive links formed therein so as to present their open sides to the advancing Wire to receive its newly-formed coils through the same, thereby effecting the concatenation of links in the production of the chain.

3. The combination of feed-rolls B and B and means for rotating the same, guide D, coiler F, and cutter J, with means for actuating the same, all constructed and arranged to operate together, as and for the purposes specified.

4i. In combination With Wire feeding,` bending, and cutting devices, operating together, substantially as and for the purposes described, the chain-tube I), and means for reciprocating the same about its vertical axis at intervals as required, and take-up rolls T and T, with means for intermittently revolving the same, all opera-ting together, as and for the purposes specified.

5. In combination with the chain-tube P and take-up rolls T and' T and their respective actuating devices, whereby they are operated relatively to each other, as and for the purposes described. the locking-lever 7i, ar-

ranged and operated to secure the chain in the tube at intervals, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

6. In a machine for producing chains composed of coiled-wire links, the combination of an adjustable wire-feed,whereby more or less Wire may be fed at one operation, and conse- ICO IIO

quently more or less coils be put into a link, wire, as described, and being adjustable about as described, with a guide, D, acoiler, F, and its axis, whereby the required lateral deflecio a cutting device for severing the coils from the tion may be given to the Wire to cause it to main wire, all substantially as described. coil spirally, as speciiied.

7. In combination with Wire feeding, guidl FRANKLIN P. HINDS. ing, and cutting devices, substantially as de- Witnesses: scribed, a ceiling device, F, having a curved T. W. PORTER, groove formed therein to receive and coil the O. B. HALL. 

